


Rage Against The Heavens

by kusattame



Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst, Character Death, F/M, I Tried, I'm Bad At Titles, Inspired by Real Events, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Strangers to Lovers, Tags Are Hard, Twisted
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-20
Updated: 2019-06-26
Packaged: 2020-03-08 22:12:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18903670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kusattame/pseuds/kusattame
Summary: “Correct me if I am wrong,” he started, checking the lively park near the cafe in case of any eavesdroppers, “You want me to kill Vinsmoke Sanji.”The blond shifted his legs and took a long drag from his cigarette. Zoro was getting impatient and he felt like he had being ridiculed somehow. The smoke filled the space between them for a brief second before being taken away by the spring breeze. The weather was clean and a little bit too flovery for Zoro’s taste.It was the time to be born, children were running around cheerfully and their parents watched them from aside, chilling on the fresh grass. What a time to be alive, he thought to himself and clicked his tongue as a sign of his utter disbelief.“I want that, yes.”Zoro returned his attention to the strangest client of his. “You want to hire me to kill you.”





	1. Chapter 1

It was Sunday. Zoro listened to the man sitting in front of him on the table. He was talking quietly, his posture was firm although it could be the illusion provided by the suit. The suits have that effect, making the person wearing them seem much more confident, firm, and in the blond’s case made him look as if he had some class that likes of Zoro would never achieve.

 

Zoro had his own class too if you were into bloodshed and feeling of fulfillment after a clean murder.

 

The man did not waver under his icy glare that he usually directed upon his victims- not his clients.

 

“Correct me if I am wrong,” he started, checking the lively park near the cafe in case of any eavesdroppers, “You want me to kill Vinsmoke Sanji.”

 

The blond shifted his legs and took a long drag from his cigarette. Zoro was getting impatient and he felt like he had being ridiculed somehow. The smoke filled the space between them for a brief second before being taken away by the spring breeze. The weather was clean and a little bit too flovery for Zoro’s taste.

 

It was the time to be born, children were running around cheerfully and their parents watched them from aside, chilling on the fresh grass. _What a time to be alive_ , he thought to himself and clicked his tongue as a sign of his utter disbelief.

 

“I want that, yes.”

 

Zoro returned his attention to the strangest client of his. “You want to hire me to kill you.”

 

“I don’t see anything remotely complex with my request.”

 

Even the tone of his voice was strong, as if trying to challenge him into an opposition. “Why don’t you just kill yourself? You can jump from there, or poison yourself, or throw yourself into sea. I can make sure no one gets to save you before your death, all for free.”

 

The man looked up at the building he pointed as an example and looked back on him then slowly spoke, “Do you think I can’t figure that much on my own? I have my reasons. And certain conditions.”

 

“What conditions?”

 

“Well, I’m usually surrounded with lots of people. I don’t want them to witness the thing.”

 

“They will learn sooner or later.”

 

“Hearing an event is something, witnessing it is something else. I don’t want to traumatize them.”

 

Zoro threw him a look that screamed _are you serious_ and proceeded to get up.

 

“Find someone else for all this bullshit.”

 

He quickly got into his coat although it wasn’t necessary to wear or even carry one around. He glanced at the man one last time, tired of trying and failing to figure out the motive behind the odd request, and left the place without looking back. He felt out of the place already, there was no need to hesitate.

 

He could not believe he had used last of his money on the bus to meet this filthy rich shithead. It would take two hours to go back to his place and be greeted by his landlord demanding him to take his belongings and find somewhere else to live.

 

The man was right, Zoro always took side of the right. But when it came to money, he himself was taken aback by the very little time that took it to disappear.

 

Calling Luffy for money was out of question. His friend would be willing to share whatever he had if he hadn’t been in trouble himself. Luffy was the most determined person he knew, and being stubborn like a bull, he managed to sneak his brother out of the jail and now both of them needed to vanish in order to be able start a new life.

 

He cursed at the driver that honked at him and scared him out of his thoughts. His mind had a habit of working better during an emergency and the car honk was like his wake-up call.

 

Kuina.

 

Zoro could contact with her and crash at her dojo until he found a new flat. A warm laugh escaped from him when he remembered he had a sister. Kuina would scold him for not calling them often and perhaps would break some of his bones but it would worth it with her.

 

Suddenly the rude driver was not that much of an asshole.

 

A sense of joy took over him when he ran towards the only empty bench at the park, his hand gripping the phone in his pocket to prevent it from falling.

 

The moment he safely reached the seat and got rid of the annoying coat, Zoro dialed the only number which he bothered with memorizing. It was like a lifeline, impossible for him to ever forget. He was even disappointed in himself because he worried about a place to live when he had Kuina. He was ready take whatever punishment she had for him.

 

It ringed more than six times, more than six times because he lost count from then on, and no one picked up.

 

It was strange, Kuina never _not_ answered her phone. The parents of the children she took care of called her daily so unless she was at the class, during which she completely turned off the device, she always picked up.

 

Zoro raked a hand through his hair and looked up at the sky. _Maybe she forgot to turn it off,_ he thought while watching the clouds move at an incredible speed. Although it was spring, the wind was still strong.

  


**

  


It was Sunday when the man contacted him again. Not that it was important, being which day it is, because Zoro had nothing to do with calendars and he knew it was not important for the soon-to-be dead people. So he only pitied his victims when he saw they cared. It was like watching everything from above, he knew how they would be killed by him and when, watching them running around all day, chasing what would be lost in the blink of an eye.

 

This man, though, was so fucking insistent about getting himself killed that if he pressed further, Zoro would kill him out of sheer rage.  

 

**_Is it money? I can give as much as you want._ **

 

Of course it was about money, everything was one way or another related to money. Still killing a customer was like a cow paying to be eaten, there was something wrong with the idea. Besides the man would do it himself if he wanted to die so much.

 

Deciding to give him some time to cool off and think about whatever whim he had been acting upon, Zoro ignored the messages for about a week after their short first meeting. However as the man pressed further, getting more stubborn by time, and Zoro fell deeper into poverty with getting kicked out of his flat, he had no chance but giving in the blond’s insistent calls.

 

Zoro was a hitman and he wouldn’t blink an eye if he got paid generously. He just needed a little time to gather his head around the idea.

 

“For whom I owe this sudden change of spirits?”

 

Zoro turned his gaze away, “I still don't think you really want to die.”

 

Sanji took a sip from his coffee, wordless. Zoro took it as a cue to go on.

 

“I need money. I don't kill people out of some fetish, I kill so I get paid and continue to live.”

 

“There are many ways to get paid and continue to live.”

 

Zoro glared at the man pointedly, “Yeah look where they took you to.”

 

“At least I will die in luxury,” he shrugged and left Zoro speechless. He was right.

 

“Whatever you say,” he trailed off for a second before talking again, “I haven't decided whether I agree or not. Why do you exactly want to die anyway?”

 

Steely eyes slowly rose from the coffee and met his. If Zoro was to release his gaze, he would have noticed the stiffening of the man’s shoulders.

 

“Why? Trying to find out if I'm worthy of death?” His eyes narrowed and his tone became defensive. “Why are you here?”

 

“Because I have nowhere else to be,” Zoro declared, honestly, ignoring the burning in his ears. “Quite literally.”

 

Sanji’s eyebrows rose and he barely leaned back before erupting into a laugh. Zoro crossed his arms and held his chin up although the slight twitch of his mouth, trying to betray him. He opted to say something rather than joining the man and laughing at his own misery.

 

“If you keep this up for fifteen minutes straight you will have a vip ticket to hell.”

 

“See you get the best out of this deal- cooling your nerves and actually getting paid for that!”

 

Zoro grinned and noticed the faint blush on the man’s pale face, matching his own ears. It felt good not to be alone.

 

“Come on then,” his client said with some finality, getting up in a rush. He shrugged off his blazer jacket and put an unlit cigarette between his lips.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“We're going together marimo.”

 

**

 

 _The bastard has-_ “R8!”

 

“Are you familiar with cars?”

 

Zoro ignored the question and gritted his teeth, “You have Audi R8!?”

 

“Hop in,” Sanji smirked and pressed down on a button that had the roof roll back. It was an angry red, so fucking pretty for such a tiny car, and engine roared in a way that shoot his senses down.

 

Zoro didn’t bother with the door and jumped in, still not believing the situation he was in. He renewed his previous question.

 

“Where are we going?”

 

The answer was short. “My place.”

 

“For what?”

 

“Look,” Sanji yelled without taking his eyes off of the road, trying to be heard through the noise of evening traffic, “You said you had no place. I’m not letting you starve on the streets.”

 

“It’s not your business.”

 

“It is, I have to keep you sharp.”

 

Zoro rolled his eyes and got more comfortable on his thousands of euros worth seat.

 

He was not interested in cars in any way but he knew how to acknowledge them when they had to be appreciated. A friend of his was an engineer, Franky, and he owed much of his knowledge to him.

 

The warm red evening light, the sweet lullaby of the powerful engine and occasional smell of tobacco lured him into a sleep, with many doubts and questions in his mind.

 

Neither of them were present when he was shaken into consciousness by the suicidal pretty blond.

 

No. The only pretty thing was the car and car only. The blond was pretty suicidal indeed. Wrong lineage of the words.

 

“I'd let you sleep here but I have to lock this up and it gets very claustrophobic, won’t recommend it.”

 

“As if,” he mumbled, his voice hoarse from the wind and the sleep. Yawning, he jumped out of the car - _R8!!!-_ and followed Sanji through the dim autopark.

 

“I can give it to you if you agree with the idea of killing me.”

 

His ears perked up, the suggestion was perfect yet impossible. “You can't.”

 

“Right, I can't.” The man sighed dramatically and pressed the button aggressively when they reached the elevators. “You would get arrested asap because there are only five of them in this city and everyone knows _I_ have the most striking one.”

 

“I didn't know you had one until-” Zoro was so out of the reality that he had no guess about the hour, “What time is it?”

 

“It's a bit past nine.” The man got into the elevator and talked without facing him, “Tuesday, if you care.”

 

 _No,_ there was something wrong. _It was Sunday._

  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

“I left them back at my flat,” Zoro explained, he didn’t have many belongings anyway. The man hummed and handed him a toast with a cup of tea, taking his place on the table. 

 

Zoro had never been to such a fancy place, being brought up by a merely middle class man. However the man in front of him looked like he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. First his expensive suit and watch, then the fucking R8 and now the residence. 

 

He felt a pair of blue eyes follow his movements and stopped mid bite to speak. “Why don’t you eat?”

 

“I’m not hungry.” 

 

Another awkward silence stretched between them, interrupted by his chews only. Zoro hadn’t been much of a talker so he did not go out of his way to fill the silence and make it much more awkward. 

 

Instead he focused on the man and his request. Sanji did not tell him why he wanted so desperately to be killed. He seemed to have more money than he needed to survive. The wealth usually brought trouble but if it was something related to money or anything related to third parties, the blond wouldn’t need him for the job. 

 

Maybe he was going through that depressions the rich has gone through in the tv dramas. Like agonizing over their loneliness, being surrounded by fake people or something silly like that. 

 

Humans tend to be carried away from their real struggles like the need to feed, being sheltered, and keeping this circle steady as possible. For Zoro his instincts were still loud and clear, telling him to live. However for the people whose circles were not threatened to break, their instincts were just a buzzing sound that they knew no way of dealing with. 

 

Let’s say Sanji here had a heartbreak out of nowhere and found his solution in death. Being a coward to do it himself, he decided to be overdramatic and hire a hitman, enter Zoro, and paid to be killed. As if none of these begged for explanation, he played nice and fed Zoro. 

 

Why would he do that?

 

Zoro glanced at the man skeptically and found him asleep. 

 

_ Great, just great.   _

 

Now that he was full, nowhere near starvation, should he leave? Not being remotely comfortable as he had been in a metro station, the answer for him was yes. He wanted to leave. When the man was around, his mind turned into a muddy puddle. 

 

But it was rude at the same time. Zoro didn’t give a single fuck about being rude yet the possibility of Sanji being his next client held him down. 

 

He took his time to approach the sleeping man, his steps light and steady. Contrary to his quality appearance when awake, the scene was quite amusing with his mouth open, hair falling over his face disgracefully and his shirt… It would be exceptionally wrinkly tomorrow. 

 

Zoro almost stopped breathing once he was barely a step away from the guy. It’d be easy to kill him, awake or asleep. He could open the gas and walk away. Painless. He could slide one of those shiny blades on the counter through the pale neck, he could paint the lifeless place with angry red. A beautiful bloody mess for whatever relatives Sanji had. 

 

Or he could wake the man up, gracing him with few seconds of consciousness because he’d have a chance to look at those blue eyes properly before Zoro choke him with bare hands. Brutal, a lonely death. 

 

His heartbeat picked up at the thought, a rush of adrenaline hit him, making his fingers tingle with anticipation. 

 

_ I’m going to kill him.  _

 

Once he fixed the idea on his mind, the man shifted with a silent curse, sending Zoro back to his chair as quickly as he had come. 

 

He crossed his arms and relaxed his posture, faking a sleep. He listened the man get up to his feet, not even trying to repress the noise, and walk away to a room, shutting the door with a loud snap.

 

**

 

_ Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.  _

 

_ It resembles the summer nights in country with distant chirping of the grasshoppers, it’s definitely mechanic, but he hopes to see one of those annoying bugs.  _

 

_ He hates bugs. Especially during summer when they stick to your skin for no reason and make your skin crawl with disgust as if the sweat all over your body is not disgusting enough.  _

 

_ He sees something else though, someone else. Suddenly the scene changes, there is no beeping sound anymore. It’s dark, he knows the place but can’t tell where. He can’t speak and he can’t breathe. There are hands around his neck. Hot tears are flowing down his cheeks.  _

 

_ It’s not the fear of death. He’s crying because it’s a different, much more heavy feeling. He doesn’t even know if it’s the hands or the feeling itself is choking him.  _

 

_ “I won’t forgive.” _

 

_ He senses the words. It’s in his bones, down at the core of his soul. It’s repeated in his head sometimes as a shriek, as a whisper, sometimes as a wave.  _

 

_ “I won’t forgive.”  _

 

_ ** _

 

_ “ _ You look like shit.”

 

Zoro would very much prefered to keep the comment to himself if it was not for the sake of getting the attention of the man to his existence in the following morning. 

 

His remark went ignored when Sanji’s eyes widen as he took in Zoro’s sight. “I was not expecting to see you here.”

 

Zoro shrugged and stretched. “Your couch sucks.”

 

“Do you want some coffee? A breakfast?”

 

“No, I hate coffee” he replied and gestured the blond to sit. “Let’s talk.”

 

Zoro was not confident in his decision but overall, it was no different than his previous cases. There was a client who would pay for his services and there was a target. As long as he did his job and got paid, it would be like any other murder. 

 

The man followed the suit and took his place on the far end of the couch. He seemed like he had just walked out of a nightmare with his glaring dark circles and disheveled hair. There was a purple bruise from his wrist to all the way up to his elbow that Zoro was sure not there the day before. 

 

_ He hurt himself.  _

 

“There’s nothing to talk,” he talked calmly, leaning on his elbows, “I will give you as much as you want for your service.”

 

Zoro stared at the man, still trying to make sense of his drive. “I want the initial price.”

 

“Are you sure?” Sanji seemed surprised, he searched Zoro’s face curiously. “Look, all of these-” he waved his hands around, obviously pointing the place itself, “These are going to be sold tomorrow and you will have fifteen days until I have to move out.”

 

“Six thousand gets me going,” he repeated firmly. Just because the man was going to die, he wouldn’t go out of his way and demand more. Instead his mind focused on another detail that had nothing to with him. “Why do you bother selling all? It’s not like you’re going to bring the money to your grave, if you’re too set on giving some to me.”

 

“I’ll randomly give all the money out.” Sanji lowered his gaze at his hands. “I don’t want any assholes to get advantage of it.” 

 

Zoro nodded. It made perfect sense. There must have been people sucking the life out of this man, and it was only natural for Sanji to show them a middle finger by not leaving a penny behind. 

 

“Are you sure you won’t get ditched for this? I mean we can find a place for you abroad or-”

 

With a laugh he cut the man’s blabbering. “This is not a movie. I won’t get caught unless I want.”

 

This time Sanji nodded, fidgeting with his fingers as if he still had his doubts but kept whatever he thought to himself. Zoro proceeded to the other question that was seriously bugging him. 

 

“Are you,” he started, shaking his head at how weak he sounded so suddenly. He looked away and tried again. “How do you want me to do it?”

 

The answer was fast and stern as if being rehearsed before. “Do it when I’m alone. It’s the only thing that matters.”

 

“I will.” 

 

“One more thing,” Sanji said, this time a sadness crossed his face before blue eyes fixed on his. “Don’t hesitate. Even if I beg you not to-” He winced and raked a hand through his locks. “Nevermind. I will probably kill myself if I beg.”

 

He got up abruptly, heading towards the kitchen. It amazed Zoro how the man was still active on his daily duties. He invested himself barely with survival acts, being a complete loser in any house cords, unable to cook anything more complex than instant noodles. He was handy when it came to moving the furnitures around but it rarely happened, leaving him useless. 

 

Zoro followed the host's suit and made his way to kitchen. The place was spotlessly clean, disturbingly even. 

 

Sanji was working on some vegetables with his back to the door, unaware of the curious man watching his moves. His cooking seemed decent except for his slow movements, and Zoro was not sure if the smoking would make veggies any healthier. 

 

The only suicidal act on Sanji's part was his non-stop smoking which made him both a complete loser like Zoro himself because the shit stunk, and made him look ridiculously hot. One could not be sure if the person who smoke was really hot or was it some kind of collective perception of the people who gave zero fuck about death by means of sucking such poison sticks. 

 

A strange movement took Zoro out of his thoughts and without a second glance made him surge towards the counter where the man forgot a knife so close to the edge now it was slipping down straight towards his bare feet. 

 

Zoro hit side of his thigh to the cupboard hard and flinched but grabbed the knife right in time. However the moment he raised his head to tell the man to be more careful, he flied few steps away with a solid kick to his torso. 

 

Sanji's eyes were wide, his whole posture was alarmed, shaking with fear. Zoro was sure about the fear bit, he saw the same expression too many times to forget. 

 

_ He's not ready. _

 

His mouth opened but nothing made it out, he was speechless. The kick was also effective, causing him to actually fly away from the counter. Eight out of ten.

 

Then the fear in the blonde's eyes turned into terrified as soon as he lowered his gaze to Zoro's form. 

 

"Shit you're bleeding."

 

***

 

"Thought I was the murderer here," Zoro tried to break the silence because it was getting more and more awkward by the hands on his leg. 

 

Sanji clicked his tongue and frowned. His cigarette was forgotten on the ashtray, whatever breakfast he had been preparing was left alone. His hands worked with confidence, but Zoro knew better than to assume his strong demeanor was all there was to him. 

 

"We should get it checked."

 

"No we won't."

 

Not that he took the injury lightly, it would only bring trouble if they were to be seen together. 

 

"It can be serious," Sanji said, bandaging the wound tight, "I can handle the basics but if it gets infected-"

 

"It's my problem." And it was. Sanji was not someone to burden, he was Zoro's client only. He should not even be there, he should have left right away the previous night. 

 

The man was not emotionally stable as far as Zoro could tell, hurting himself but at the same time never skipping a single meal. He was hiring Zoro to get himself killed, then kick him almost out of the fucking place by some crazy survival instinct. He sighed and pulled his leg away from the man's touch to go on bandaging by himself. 

 

"What would happen if we were to seen together at hospital and they found you dead couple of days later?"

 

"Sorry," Sanji looked up into his eyes for the first time after the kick, realization dawning upon him. He swiftly placed a cigarette between his lips and a strong smell of tobacco followed the soft click of a lighter. "I'd feel like a total jerk if I was to bring you to death with me y'know."

 

Here he cared about a man he had no connection with. He fed Zoro, gave him shelter and now was looking after his well being. 

 

"So you care about your reputation, even if you're dead," he eyed the man questioningly, watching an easy grin form on his pale face. 

 

"Well, I have certain values to live up to."

 

Zoro rolled his eyes, "Funny how you think you'd be living up to anything."

 

Sanji's grin only widened with these words, still not reaching his eyes. Zoro grinned back but he was sure it looked sore. 

 

"Seriously," he coughed and asked, "Why did you hit me?"

 

"I was…" the man trailed off, taking a drag from the dead stick for some composure. "It was a reflex I guess."

 

Zoro played the scene over and over in his mind before shaking his head. "No it was too calculated and clean for a reflex."

 

"What do you want me say?" He got up abruptly and slammed close the bag of first aid kit. Zoro stared, not bothered by the violent gesture. Sanji was getting more and more angry, concluding from his reddening face and neck.

 

"I was afraid," he said coldly. "I want to die but I was too scared for a moment that you'd-"

 

Zoro raised his hand and shut the man off. "Why don't you show them what you're made of?"

 

He rose to his feet too, taking a step towards the fuming blond. The man was speechless so he wasted no time pressing further. 

 

"Why don't you outlive those assholes if you want them so pissed off?"

 

Backing off from their ugly deal was the best thing for both men. Sanji was confusing Zoro with his kindness out of nowhere and Zoro did not want to kill the man if Sanji had even a tiniest bit of will to live. 

 

Sanji stood there for a second, probably not expecting Zoro to remember such a trivial slip of his private life he dropped few hours ago. It lasted short, though, because there was a hand gripping the collar of his shirt. He felt the following words more than hearing them.

 

"Don't try to tell me what to do. I am the one who lived through that freakshow."

 

"Then act up to your means," he challenged and decided to be bolder, "Coward."

 

"I wouldn't hesitate to break your neck, bastard."

 

"Try and see whose neck will end up breaking."

 

Zoro was a breath away from showing the idiot man whom he messing with when a phone call broke the tension. Sanji shoved him aside with frustrated growl and marched towards the device.

 

It was not his business, Zoro tried to stay nonchalant, yet there was no one but two of them and his focus was solely on the man. 

 

"I thought you said tomorrow was the only empty-" 

 

Whatever the person on the line had been telling did not seem like making Sanji any happy because his eyes were tightly closed, his fingers tapping the phone impatiently. He snapped few seconds later.

 

"You suggested wednesday first? I'm sure you told it would be thursday!"

 

For a man who was willing to die, Sanji had a very busy schedule. Zoro looked at his bandaged leg and sighed. This man had too many reasons to live, too many that he was trying to fit his own murder into his schedule. 

 

"Alright," Sanji said with a finality and Zoro's ears perked up, "I'll bring it in three to five hours. I need to reset the engine and pick up my belongings first." 

 

With those final words, blond's phone flied past him and hit the couch. "That asshole's getting on my nerves."

 

"What about it?"

 

"The man who is buying my car," Sanji said and laughed bitterly. "We agreed on tomorrow but now he insists that he said wednesday and blame me for being irresponsible by not following the fucking calendar!" 

 

Zoro hummed and shrugged.  _ He thought yesterday was tuesday too. It was sunday.  _ Maybe his depression was fucking with his mind. It was not his business. 

 

"So what are you going to do?"

 

"I have to bring it to the man today."

 

"Let's go together," Zoro said after a bit of thinking because the man seemed more uncomfortable than ever and it was his chance to pay back for the shelter Sanji provided him with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, I promise this story will be completed soon! I wrote this chapter ages ago but something felt wrong with it... I couldn't find it though, so if you notice something strange, feel free to roast me because I'm a fucking loser when it comes to English.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, this story will imitate life as every piece of art should. 
> 
> Here's the link to the most heartbreaking news I've read recently:
> 
> https://ananova.news/romeo-hitman-falls-in-love-with-woman-hes-meant-to-kill/


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